Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. J. EMERY. GAR GOUPLING No. 487,475. Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

Thomas JEWT' V- 5 6M447 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N6 Model.)

T. J. EMERY. GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

Thom JEwz/ery. b 46 Ly g tz/gs j UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. EMERY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAR-COUPLINMG.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,475, datedDecember 6, 1892.

Application filed July 5, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. EMERY, of Boston, county of Sufiolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Car- Oouplings, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel and simpleapparatus for coupling cars and by the use of which it becomesunnecessary to go between the cars, the coupling being adapted to beoperated from either side the car and preferably, also, from the topthereof.

In accordance with my invention I have provided the car with a carrierfor a coupling-link of usual construction, the said carrier being underthe control of carrier-actuating devices adapted to be moved from theside of the car, preferably either side, and also the top of the car toshackle or unshackle the cars. (Jo-operating with thislongitudinally-movable coupling is a coupling-pin guided in the head ofthe draw-bar and adapted to be elevated or depressed by or through arock-shaft and actuating devices therefor. The devices for actuating thecoupling-carrier and the coupling-pin are so arranged on the car thatthe operator standing at the side of two cars coming together may withone hand move the carrier and push the coupling out of the draw-head, soas to enter the opposing draw-head, and with the other hand effect theinsertion of the pin of the other car into the link, thus coupling thecars together.

Figure 1 in elevation shows portions of the ends of two cars providedwith my improved coupling devices, the cars being supposed to be nearlyin contact and in condition for the operator to couple them together.Fig. 2 is a right-hand end elevation of the car at the left in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a partial under side view of the car shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4shows the box for the reception and guidance of the carrier and thecoupling-link. Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 4 in the line 00, and Fig. 6is a section of the draw-head in which moves the carrier andcoupling-link.

The car-bodies A B and their trucks A B are and may be of any usualconstruction.

Serial No. 438,957- (No model.)

Each car at each end is supplied with like devices, so as to simplifythe description of the apparatus herein to be descrlbed. I shallspecifically refer to but one .car, and the like devices upon the othercar I shall designate with alike letter or figure with the addition of aprime-mark, as Referring to the car A, it will be seen that it isprovided at its end at its under side with a casing a, in which s fittedto slide the draw-head 1), (shown best in Figs. 4 and 5,) the drawheadhaving the usual open-mouthed bunter and having above 1t a guide 2 forthe pin, to be described. Each draw-head is provided with shoulders 3:,whlch co-operate with springs .4 and 5 to dissipate the shocks of thecars'coming together and of startin g.

In acordance with my invention thedrawhead is made hollow. to constitutea guide for a carrier 0, in the forward end of which s mounted thecoupling-link (1, so that the said carrier in its movements to and frowill effeet the, pushing of the coupling-link out of the draw-head orenable it to be pulled back into the draw-head, as represented by thefull and dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5. In this present embodiment of.my invention I have devised simple actuating devices for the carrier,such' actuating devices cons1st1ng, as herein represented, of a lever e,pivoted at'6 on a suitable block at the bottom of the car,

a link f, and a hand-lever g, pivoted at 7 and jointed loosely to thelink f. o By moving the lever g from the position shown by full lines inFigs. 1 and 3 forward or toward the end of the car the carrier 0,ling-link (1, will be thrown forward into the dotted-line position,Figs. 4: and 5, thus thrusting out the coupling-link to enter the openmouth of the draw-head b of the car B. In order, however, that thiscarrier may be operated from the top of the car when desired, I havejointed to the link f a link It, in turn jointed to an arm t' of avertical rod m, extended to the roof of the car and provided with asuitable handle. A spring n, connected with the lever g, acts normallyto keep the carrier and coupling-link retracted within the draw-head,the said spring acting whenever a coupling-pin is withdrawn from thelink entering it from the other car.

together with its coup- Each car, it will be obvious, must and will haveat each end like coupling'pin-actuating mechanism, which I will nowdescribe. The guide .2 receives a coupling-pin 0, herein represented asof considerable length, so as to be guided steadily in its ascent anddecent. The upper end of this pin has loosely joined to it a link 3,connected to a crank 'r, preferably by a strong bolt, said crank beingattached to the end of a rock-shaft s, the opposite end of which isextended outside the car to the side of the car, where'it is providedwith a suitable handle. This rock-shaft s, in order that thecoupling-pin may alsobe readily operated from the top of the car, isrepresented as provided with a bevel-gear t, engaged by a bevel-gear uat the lower end of an upright 1;, extended above the top of the car andprovided with a suitable handle by which the rock-shaft may be turned toeffect the raising or lowering of the pin, so that it maybe withdrawnfrom or made to enter the link at any desired time from the top of thecar.

Referring to Fig. l, in View of the foregoing description, it will besupposed that the two cars A and B are nearly together and that it isdesired to couple them in or to form part of a train. In this conditionthe operator will by his left hand seize the lever 9, move it to theright, thus throwing the coupling-link out of the draw-head b and so asto readily enter the draw-head b, and then with his right hand inengagement with the handle of the rock-shaft s of the car B will turnthe latter in the direction of the arrow thereon to lower thecoupling-pin and thrust it through the coupling-link.

I have shown a simple mechanism for effecting the to and fro movementsof the coupling-link and its carrier by or through a lever, the handleof which is located at the side of the car; but this invention is notlimited to the exact construction of actuating devices shown, as insteadof the links e and fand the particular-shaped lever 9 shown I may employany other usual or suitable equivalent devices.

My invention so far described is applicable to cars of variousconstructions It will be noticed that the chamber formed in the rearpart of the draw-head is of such shape as to receive and shield thecouplinglink when the latter is retracted, in order that a coupling-linkof another car may enter the open mouth of that draw-head.

Prior to my invention I am not aware that each car has been provided ateach end with a permanently-connected coupling-link, which when notactively in use asa shackling device between two cars is retracted andcontained within the draw-head out of the way of the coupling-link whichis then actually in use.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, a containedcoupling-link and carrier to which the link is attached, and actuatingdevices for said carrier, of a couplingpin, a crank-shaft, and means forconnecting said pin and crank-shaft, whereby the pin maybe made to enteror be withdrawn from the coupling-link, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a car, of a shell a,

a spring-supported draw-head having an open mouth, and a hollow shank,combined with a carrier movable in said shank, an attachedcoupling-link, and devices to move the said carrier back and forth andwith it the coupling-link longitudinally with relation to the saiddraw-head, the coupling-link being contained wholly within the shank ofthe drawhead when not in use, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the casing, a carrier therein provided with acoupling-link, and a lever extended to the outer side of the carbody,combined with intermediate actuating devices to actuate the said carrierby the movement of said lever and with a link, a vertical shaft, as m,and connecting devices, to operate substantially as described.

4. The rock-shaft, its attached gear, the upright shaft '0, its attachedgear, the crankarm, and link, combined with the couplingpin and thedraw-head having the guide 2 for the said pin, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a car-coupling, a draw-head having an open mouth and a hollowshankin communication therewith, and aguide for the couplingpin, combinedwith a coupling-link adapted to be contained in the said hollow shankwhen the link is not in use as a shackle and a pin supported in saidguide, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS J. EMERY.

Witnesses:

GEo. W. GREGORY, EMMA J. BENNETT.

